The Second Morning
by jareya
Summary: Mac and Harm on the second morning of their honeymoon. Originally written for the August 2012 HBX Challenge.


_A/N_: One-shot originally written for the HBX August 2012 Challenge.

_Disclaimer_: The usual - I own nothing except my daydreams and fantasies about these characters.

Crumpled sheets, tousled hair, garments strewn everywhere… not a trace to be found of the squared-away Marine Colonel and Navy Captain. The men and women who sternly and meticulously guided me through basic training years ago would be absolutely aghast and appalled. I have a sudden mental image of one of them, a big, tough drill instructor with light blue eyes and what are still the bushiest eyebrows I have ever seen in my life. In my mind's eye, I see her striding into this room right now, surveying the damage, then yelling my name and ordering me to "drop and give her fifty". At the thought of that most unlikely event, I smile to myself against warm, smooth skin.

Our room is bathed in rich sunlight and warmth. The only sounds in the room are our deep, relaxed breaths and the sounds that waft in through the window… the call of the seagulls and the lazy roar of the ocean. It occurs to me that this moment is precious. Like everyone else in the world, I have my fair share of troubles, but I can't recall a single one of them right now. All I feel is love, peace, joy, serenity. I feel like I could stay here, just like this, forever.

'Hey,' he says.

'Hey,' I reply.

'You okay?'

'Yeah. You?'

'Uh huh.'

Silence. More silence. And then even more moments of silent bliss. Then he speaks again.

'What made you smile just now?'

'The silliest, most random thing – I just thought about Staff Sergeant Gregory.'

'Who?'

'Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Gregory. One of my drill instructors at Parris Island. She had the bushiest eyebrows I have ever seen.'

'Damn. I must be doing something wrong if that's who you're thinking about on the second day of our honeymoon.'

I lift my head from his chest, where it's been resting and look up at his face. The expression of boyish confusion and chagrin makes me burst into peals of laughter. He is not amused.

'Wait a minute,' I say, trying to stop laughing, 'let me explain.'

'I'm waiting,' he says, as I struggle to tame my laughter.

'I was thinking of how messy our room is right now, and then I just had a picture of Staff Sergeant Gregory coming in here, taking one look at the disarray, and ordering me to do push-ups.'

Looking at his face, I realize that my explanation really hasn't helped. 'Again, that's _really_ what's on your mind at a time like this?'

'Well, it's not like I was _dwelling _on it. It was just a funny thought that flashed through my head for a second – less than a second,' I say, dropping my head to his chest again and tightening my grip around his waist.

His fingers slide slowly up my side, then run through my hair, and I let out a satisfied sigh that seems to come up from my very depths. I feel so safe here – like nothing could hurt me. And yet I feel not just protected, but strangely powerful – like I could do just about anything, take on any challenge, just as long as I have him beside me. On sunny days, we'll bask in the sun together. When life's storms come, we'll ride the wind together, and somehow we'll make it through. Suddenly, I want to let him know how being here with him makes me feel. 'So,' I ask – and I try to make my tone teasing, casual, 'would you like to know what else I was thinking about?'

'Hmm,' he mutters, 'well, as long as the thoughts don't involve any other random people – bushy-eyebrowed women or not….'

'Well,' I say, and I'm glad my face is hidden against him, because ridiculous as it is, I feel strangely shy, 'I was thinking of how perfect this is. Just you, me and the ocean… nothing to distract us, no worries... It sounds silly, but it feels like we're the only two people in the world. I was thinking about how good it feels to finally be together and to know that we have each other – to have no doubts about where we stand. I was thinking that I wish this moment could last forever. And I was thinking of how thankful I am for you, and how happy you make me.'

Maybe I'm just imagining it, but his heartbeat seems to speed up a bit beneath my outspread fingers. He is silent for a long time, and after a while I summon up the courage to lift my head and look into those gorgeous green eyes.

'So… that's what I was thinking about,' I sum up my thoughts, lamely, nervously. I want to ask him what he's thinking, but that's the stereotypical, needy female question, isn't it? Besides, I don't want to put him on the spot or make him feel like he _has to_ say something if he doesn't want to….

He takes my face between his hands, gently, pushes back my unruly hair, and looks into my eyes for a long moment, his eyes a deep, dark, glittering green… I feel the heat in the room rise, and I start to feel a little light-headed, fuzzy around the edges… then he speaks. Quietly.

'I wish I had all the right words, Sarah. Lord knows you deserve to hear them. But when I look at you, all the words I could say melt into nothing – you take my breath away, and all I can think about is how much I love you, how much I've always loved you. But I just hope you know how happy you make me too… and how hard I'm going to try to keep you as happy as you are now.'

Tears spring to my eyes. _How sweet_, I think to myself, _it is to be loved by this man_. I cup one of my hands around his, holding it more firmly against my cheek. 'You make me happy just by being who you are, and by being with me. We both know that there'll be rough times, and sad times, but what matters most is that we're together.'

Smiling, he nods his head and pulls mine down for a deep, drugging, devastating kiss that somehow seems to be a language all its own.

When we finally come up for air after several bone-melting minutes, I realize that I really am light-headed now, and my edges have gone even fuzzier. But before this goes any further, there are certain… priorities….

'Pass me the room service menu, Harm. I'm absolutely starving.'


End file.
